LIVE Nieuw Amsterdam 11-18-2012

[CruisingWalter]

Embarkation Day

 

First off I will say the WiFi in the room in the worst of any ship we have been on despite the repeater being just three doors down in the hallway. *I used 20 minutes of Internet time over two attempts yesterday to upload, and the wifi kept dropping off so I gave up..... *But now Embarkation Day.....

 

If you are arriving to Ft. lauderdale in advance of the cruise like we do, cannot recommend Embassy Suites on 17th Street enough. *Nice rooms and awesome complimentary breakfast that includes made to order omelette and pancakes. * We always arrive a day early and stay there. * Then it's an easy drive / taxi / shuttle to the port.*

 

The adventure for us started before we even got to the ship. * We drove down to Ft Lauderdale this time and used Park N Go to park the car. * It's an attended lot and they shuttle you to the ship. *Well the shuttle broke down, three times. *The poor driver was trying everything he could to get the shuttle to the ship. *As it as only 11:30 and departure not till 5:00, we weren't worried. * Two new shuttle showed up within 5 minute and we were transferred for the last mile of the journey. *All in all they did a great job handling the situation with humor and speed.*

 

This is our first HAL cruise after three on Princess. * Being from New York originally, the Nieuw Amsterdam really appealed to me with the NYC motif. * I have to say first off, take the time to explore the cabin hallways as there are many MANY incredible black and white photographs of old New York, and many of the older HAL ships in New York. * In fact there are great touches of New York all over the ship, but the photos are really enjoyable. *I especially love the shipboard photos of how folks used to cruise. *

 

This is the Eastern Caribbean cruise and as we have done a similar voyage on Princess in the past we decided to just make this a relaxation voyage. *No excursions are planned and instead, DW booked a cabana for the entire week up in the Cabana Club. * Oh wow, it is awesome. *Just sitting in port there was a beautiful breeze coming through and our butler for the week already made us feel right at home. Though we were late for lunch service, he let us order from the menu and immediately got some champagne for DW along with chocolate covered strawberries. *

 

If you don't know what these are, the cabanas are available for the week and included are bottled water, fruit, lunch, champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, ice cream in the afternoon, and more. *Most of all for DW there is shade at all times from the sun and we don't have to get to the pool area early to get a spot in the shade. * This is our first time renting one and I can already tell we are going to love it. *There an entire area reserved for cabana guests that includes sofas and outdoor dining tables. *

 

We strolled around the ship and first impressions are beautiful. *It's a bit more elegant with much more attention to the small details than what we've seen on Princess. *Don't get me wrong, we still love Princess, but this ship feels a bit more like "classic cruising.". *More elegant in the decor and did not feel crowded in the least today. **

 

We did notice that the Lido Buffet has slightly different offerings in the front most station. *On the port side it was Mexican themed and on the other side it was Flavors of the World with Thai being the "flavor" tonight. * Did not try anything today as we had the lunch in the cabana but the layout was very nice and open, and it sure smelled great. *

 

The Stateroom on deck 4 is nice though there is an issue of the closet closest to the door not having any light. * Makes it almost impossible to see in there so a battery operated tap light or something like that would be useful. * And the overall layout of the closet setup is much better laid out on Princess, though these are functional * Its just a nit of a tight layout between the closets and bathroom * *Otherwise, the room and balcony are what we would expect for a cruise ship. * *Actually being on Deck 4 our balcony is about a foo or so longer than all the other decks which is nice. This is because the lifeboats are directly below us and they needed a wider perch to hang from. *So if you want a larger balcony for no extra cost, deck 4 is where you want to be. *

 

Embarkation a little on the rough side with some side to side shaking but we expected that with the high winds we had today in port. * Ah, it'll just help us get our sea legs faster....

 

Overall it was excellent first impression. * And then dinner time.....

 

We are doing the fixed seating at 8pm. *Our first time going with fixed seating on a cruise, just wanted to try something different. * *The Manhattan Dining Room is quite lovely and the service was friendly and attentive.*

 

The food was just ok. *Definitely not up to the same standards as Princess. * *We all had the four mushroom crustini and while the mushrooms were quite good, the bread needed to be toasted more. * DW had the chilled carrot and citrus soup which she said was quite tasty. *I went with the chicken and artichoke cream soup that was decent. *For the entree I went with a chicken special (can't remember the name) that was wrapped in zucchini and served on couscous. * *It was decent, the chicken was moist but just not a lot of flavor from the entire mix. * DW went with the eggplant Parmesan which had excellent fried eggplant. * For dessert we went with the strawberries with balsamic reduction. *This was disappointing. *It was just sliced strawberries with some balsamic vinegar dripped on. *Good strawberries, but the reduction sauce was less than desired. *Should have been served on a plate too so the berries all sat in the sauce. * It was served in an ice cream dish which didn't work.*

 

BUT dinner companions were a complete hoot so we didn't mind the dinner itself. *It's not like it was a bad meal, it was less than expectations. * I guess we got spoiled by Princess always exceeding our expectations. *

 

We decided to skip the show tonight as its been long day, definitely catching Cantare tomorrow night. *So that's the end of day one on the Nieuw Amsterdam. * Full day at sea tomorrow awaits!

 

Walter*

[CruisingWalter]

Day Two, first day at seas.*

 

Gorgeous morning off the coast of the Bahamas, passing Half Moon Cay on our way to Grand Turk. *

 

BIG positive at breakfast in the buffet this morning. *It appears they have real coffee machines using actual coffee beans vs the coffee syrup they use on Princess. *Coffee is very good in the buffet and a nice surprise. **

 

Breakfast is good, about what to expect from a buffet. *We both went with versions of eggs Benedict. * Hot and satisfying. * Also sitting very close to a wifi repeater so I can upload this! * *More later from the Cabana I hope.....

[CruisingWalter]

Just noticed all the asterisks in my posts. Not sure where those are dooming from, sorry. I'm typing offline and then copying into the forums so I guess they are being added there. Just ignore them...... :)

[0bnxshs]

Thanks for your observations and for the "Live from..." and hope you have a great cruise! Welcome to Cruise Critic. No problem with the *'s! Know what you mean about the Princess coffee....

[josie724]

Thank you for your on board review. Very informative.

[mkazmer]

Day Two, first day at seas.*

 

Gorgeous morning off the coast of the Bahamas, passing Half Moon Cay on our way to Grand Turk. *

 

BIG positive at breakfast in the buffet this morning. *It appears they have real coffee machines using actual coffee beans vs the coffee syrup they use on Princess. *Coffee is very good in the buffet and a nice surprise. **

 

Breakfast is good, about what to expect from a buffet. *We both went with versions of eggs Benedict. * Hot and satisfying. * Also sitting very close to a wifi repeater so I can upload this! * *More later from the Cabana I hope.....

 

We will be doing this same cruise on Dec 16th-nice to know about the coffee since I always get a coffee card on Princess so I can have "good" coffee. We haven't been on HAL for awhile-and we, too, love Princess. We tried Celebrity again earlier in the year on the Eclipse and we probably won't book another Solstice class ship again - still really like their Millenium class ships though. We thoroughly enjoyed both HAL cruises we have taken in the past so have great expectations for this one. Will look forward to your post this week - and thanks for doing it.

[SupahDuck]

Thanks for the thorough updates! We're sailing on NW in 6 days, on her Western Caribbean leg!

 

Appreciate all the tips and detailed reviews on the menus.... having been on the Eurodam last time around, your suggestion for a closet light is spot on!

 

Keep the updates coming (that is, if the Wi-Fi holds up!)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Loving your "Live" report.

Have a great cruise.

[CruisingWalter]

Wifi excellent in public areas like Buffet and explorers lounge. :)

[mkam2821]

We too will be doing an R&R trip on the NA on 12/16 so we really appreciate your input. Nice to hear baout the coffee as in years past I have had our waiter sneak coffee out of the Pinnacle fo us as it was the only drinkable brew to be found (one year I even brought my own single cup drip and grinds!). I wonder if the cruise lines realize how true the statement about only having one chance to make a good first impression is. We got turned off to Princess after having very mediocre food (first night's dinner was like a frozen Peppereidge Farm popover that had been reheated too many times) and disinterested and at times rude service from both dining and hotel staff. We had the choice beween Princess and Hal for this trip (it's the only week that we can get away and we were interested in service rather than ports) and with fond memories of HAL, we chose the NA. Hope we made the right choice.

[innlady1]

Thank you for your very informative "Live From" thread. Enjoy your cruise!

[Himself]

You got on right after I got off. We had a great Western Carribean cruise. I hope you have a good cruise to the East.

[CruisingWalter]

Thanks for all the positive feedback folks, glad the info is helpful. FYI, the wifi signal in th cabana club is excellent. four bars! We are right outside the Internet club so it makes sense. Here is an update from day two.....

 

Beds are relatively comfortable though DW (rebeccac on these forums) did ask for an egg crate topper to be brought in today. * We at also having the mini fridge emptied so we can out our own drinks in there. * They have it presto led with pay items. *

 

9am opens the cabanas on the cabana club level and we happen to have the Portofino cabana. * Absolutely wonderful layout and huge private area to relax. * Music amuses us, but the area is wonderful and secluded. * Well worth the price if you are considering it. * *We looked at the poolside cabanas down on Lido deck but it's quite stuffy down there when the roof is closed. * There's good fresh air flowing in the cabana club cabanas. * We are LOVING the oversized outdoor sofas.*

 

Some more thoughts on the HAL ships in general again, this is our first time on one. * *The crew has been so incredible friendly from the top down. * Lots of smiles, friendly folks and taking care of our every need. *We saw a lot of extra effort in the Lido Buffet this morning and it's definitely appreciated. * Seems each crew members tries to acknowledge everyone and not just turn away and ignore us. *Nice touch.*

 

Breakfast was definitely not crowded at all nor hectic like it has been for us on some other ships. Lots of room, lots of seating and of course plenty of food. **

 

DW ordered our beverage card to be delivered on the first At Sea day (today) and as of 8am it has not arrived yet. *Some folks in here have noted that the cards can arrive on the first day but that wasnt the case for us. * Not a problem and hopefully it will be here soon. *

 

The Crow's Nest up front offers one of the most spectacular views on the ship along with just a wonderful seating area. *Its also adjacent to the Explorers lounge and the library * *DW noticed that the lending library has far more books than Princess and there's even a paperback exchange if you want to trade out some books. * Explorers Lounge is where you will find espresso and other coffees. *Quite good.*

 

Overall, as I noted yesterday, just a very classic ship feel and the detail in the ship is beautiful. * *It's feels more like "classic cruising" than floating behemoth. * *Photo gallery, the screening room, main lobby, has a much smaller classic ship feel. * And so far we have not felt crowded at all, folks are well spread out. **

 

Ok enough for now, more later. * And I might set up a flikr account to upload some photos later. *

 

Word of warning for sail away or exiting a port..... If you are on the observation deck note that there is a ship horn DIRECTLY behind you. Between that and the glass wall in front of you, I can't imagine how loud that is.....

[highland cruiser]

Thank you for your reviews.

We haven't been on HAL for a while and are looking forward to returning on the Nieuw Amsterdam in January. We did a Princess cruise in Sept. to Asia and loved the ship and service. It is always good to compare. We have been very loyal to Hal for years but now are looking more at cost and itinerary in choosing our trips although HAL is still our favorite and some of our best trips have been on a HAL ship.

Keep your reviews coming. It helps with our anticipation of cruising. :D

[RandyinDEN]

Thanks for the updates, we will be there for a B2B in 13 days.

 

BTW, have you seen Boozy Boozy yet? Hope to see him still working on the NA.

[CruisingWalter]

Thanks for the updates, we will be there for a B2B in 13 days.

 

BTW, have you seen Boozy Boozy yet? Hope to see him still working on the NA.

 

No we have not, but then we have pretty much planted at the cabana all day! :)

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your review.

[kazu]

Enjoying your thread - thanks for taking the time to do it. If you haven't received your beverage card by now - I would check on it. Delivery at sea is usually the night you board at the latest (if not in your room). There could be a foul up (hopefully not):D

[KirkNC]

Look forward to your live updates.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for taking us along on your cruise.

Really enjoying your live reports.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for keeping us updated on your day.

You should go to the front desk with proof that you have paid for the Beverage Card.

When it indicates "At Sea" -- it should have been delivered within an hour of sailing out of Ft Lauderdale.

[Katie333]

Thanks for posting! As Princess regulars taking the NA in January (also first HAL cruise), we are particularly interested in your updates and findings. :)

[vicocala]

Thank you for sharing your cruise with us. I love the live updates from other CC'ers the best of all the postings. Very much appreciated.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[510picker]

We spent almost out entire cruise last week in the "Naples" cabana. Tell Mel that Matt and Janay said hello!

[CruisingWalter]

Standing in the hallway under a repeater for this update. :)

 

Day two part three, "the beverage card fiasco rolls on and concludes...".

 

Well, the beverage card has been a complete bust. *DW ordered it well in advance of the cruise, as I noted earlier as of 8am this morning it had not been delivered. *DW went to the front desk at noon and the attendant told her it would be delivered to the Cabana Club soon. * It's now 1:30pm with no beverage card in sight. *One of our fantastic butlers on the Cabana Club spoke with the beverage manager about 30 minutes ago and was told there is "a problem with the system." What the manager has told him to do is to run our beverages through and then the manager will remove the charges whenever the card gets issued. * *We will have to follow up and ensure that actually happens, but in the meantime this has been incredibly frustrating to pay well in advance for a $250 card and somehow the cruise can't issue it. *It's just a piece of plastic with a magnetic strip that they issue by the thousands each month. *

 

Beverage card update, 4:10pm and still no sign of it. * Not sure what to say at this point, we will visit the front desk again soon to find out what is going on. * Kind of ridiculous at this point.***

 

Beverage card update, 4:50pm *went down to the front desk again. *Was told by the front desk it's usually delivered in the late afternoon around dinner. I explained we have been waiting all day for it and we were promised a card "soon" at 12 noon. *The attendant promptly made a card on the spot. * I have absolutely no idea why the person at noon couldn't do the same thing. *We will never pre order a beverage card from HAL again, I can assure you of that. *What an ordeal for a piece of plastic that took 30 seconds to prepare.....

 

Now back to out regularly scheduled live blog......

 

One thing I've been meaning to note is just how much you feel the engines and hear the noise in the ship. *Much more noticeable than then three Princess ships we've been on. * About the only thing that compares was one night steaming from Panama Canal a few years ago when the seas were a little rough and the captain was pushing us through. *That ship had some rumble to it for one night. *But decks 2, 3 and 4 you really feel the vibrations of the engines and you can hear quite a bit of noise going through the lower promenade on deck 2. *Even on the higher decks like up in the Cabana Club on deck 11 you still feel quite a bit of vibration from the engines. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just something we've noticed different from the other ships. *

 

Went to the CC meet and greet this afternoon. *Nice to meet some folks from CC, always great to put faces to the names. *Thanks so much to Alan for setting it all up and thanks to HAL for providing a nice spot in the Crow's Nest for it.*

 

We went down for the 3:00pm tea today which was the Dutch high tea today. *HAL does a different version of the high tea each day so we are hoping to try out some of the variations. *Today was a whole series of sweets from fruit tarts to mini cakes and pastries. *All quite good and a nice selection of teas. * It's served in the main dining room in the back of the ship. *We would recommend showing up about 3:15 or so to let the initial rush of folks get through. *This tea was much better attended than the ones we have been to on Princess so there was quite the dual lines when we arrived 5 minutes early. *

 

Looked at the Northern Lights club, pretty small as to be expected on this line, looked nice, just not a lot of room to dance * *Casino was a good size, though we don't play on the ships, not good odds and way too much smoke in the rooms. * The shopping area is pretty nice with the shops all being and open floor plan, like one huge store. *Had the usual assortment of jewelry, watches, liquor and women's clothes along with some fun T's and coffee mugs playing off a "dam good" theme. *And they also had THE largest box of cigarettes I have ever seen in my life. *I have no idea how many packs are in there, but wow.....

 

Weather was a balmy 79 and clear today, nice breeze cutting across the ship and the roof was retracted on the Lido Pool making it much more bearable down there. * *Formal Night number one tonight featuring some shrimp, scallops and king crab legs on the menu. *I'll let you know how they are later along with the Canare show in the theater. *